Ask These 11 Questions To Yourself Before Hiring an App Agency

Just Total Tech

16 Sep 2015

We are having a mobile app solution for most of our problems today. Mobile app development industry is getting bigger and bigger. In this scenario, more business is getting inspiration to develop a mobile app for own business.

As per the facts of 2018, there are 2100000 applications available on Google play store for Android users and 2000000 applications on Apple app store for iOS users.

“We are getting an application for our business“, this definitely would get a thumbs up from your employees. Apart from this, the excitement increases manifold just thinking about what good it would do to the company and how would it help to increase the profit or how close it would take you to your customers?

Here are a few basic questions that management needs to answer to self and employees before hiring the app development company.

1. Have you designed a clear picture of goals?

You don’t want to have a mobile application only because everyone is making one, Right?

How they are using an app, what do they think and communicate? The problems they are facing and how your app will be helpful to them.

Once you are set with the goal part, move ahead to measure the outcome. Is an app project finalized when the app hits the App Store? When are we going to hit 10000 download marks?

Decide the budget also, how much you want to invest in mobile app development at an initial stage. Once you are clear with all these, you can think about mobile app developer.

Everything should be well organized and planned. Needed to, take help from experts who will help you to clear your vision.

2. Did you strategize the whole process of app making?

You need to be really headstrong about the whole process right from the earlier session to the quality assurance process.

You are sure about developing an app, but there are many strategic decisions you need to take during that period of time. What may work for others, may not work for you.

It will be difficult to have clear-cut strategic guidelines in advance. But you should have at least some plans or if strategy A doesn’t work, you should have a backup plan.

So that at every step you don’t need to search for what is next. Prepare a timeline and keep your eyes tasks regularly.

3. What is essential to select the right app developer agency?

There is a number of app developers are emerging. In that case, it makes difficult for you to choose the right. Screen the app developers, select a few of them whose work you think can match your expectations. Here also you can take help of an expert and a team.

One would be expert in coding, other in designing and so on. So you’ll get confused before selection.

Take your time, don’t rush because if you choose the wrong one, you’re about to lose the time, money and many other things you’ve invested in.

Visit some of them; prepare a list of questions for developers also. Ask them all your queries, understand the technical view. Also, Take reviews of app developers.

Also, you can check out reviews of the app developers has developed. So you can see the ratings of users. It will help you to exclude available options and you can finalize the right developer.

Check if they are reputed for doing the things in-house with the help of their team or if they outsource much of the work. For sure you would like it more and if you know that the company is doing a majority of work in-house rather than outsourcing.

You need to delegate time to communicate with them regularly. And, if you have selected the company from a reference then know how friendly the company.

Also, check how much they are open to the idea of daily communication and recommendations. Take regular follow-up but make sure the company appreciates this and isn’t annoyed by it and make it a trust issue.

4. Are you clear on the design part?

This is crucial as well as a critical part of any app development process. You know how dear mobiles have become and so have the apps.

Apps, apps everywhere but for a great app to click with the people you need to be meticulously clear on the design part.

A detailed message should be passed on to your designer. So that there is no mistake, right from the starting to get the best you want.

And, if you are really keen on it, then download some of the apps you really appreciate, check their designs, features, functionality and mark down the app development companies they belong to.

This will save the time of yours as well as app developers; you can clearly talk to them about your idea without any hesitation.

5. Are the deadlines realistic?

Once you finalize the basics, you have to think about the time when you want to launch an app. Tell your developer about deadlines.

You can also ask developers how much time they’ll take to develop an app, a real-time. You need to check if they are able to give an accurate estimate of the time they will need to finish the project.

However, don’t push them hard. How much time would it take to create wireframes? How much time would it take to create the design? How much time will go in developing the codes? A good agency will be relatively flexible, but will also tell you when you are asking the impossible.

You should listen to an app developer. Also, make sure that the same team you had the discussion with is involved in the whole app making process and not the people who weren’t even present while you had the brainstorming sessions.

6. Whom you are assigning to review the work?

It’s much needed to test the app in and out prior to making it live. Setup a small team internally who will closely look after the project and review the work done by the agency.

The fewer people you have in the team the easier it will be to move forward, of course, but make sure you involve the decision makers early enough so they do not feel left out.

You need to assign a person, probably a technical person who happens to be really interested in the app, who will approve the app (beta-tested version), and after it is submitted, monitor the app and maintain it and coordinate with the developer for any small or big issue.

7. Are you going to own the app?

Generally, it’s the client who pays for the app owns it but this ‘owning’ part should be clear at the time of signing the contract.

This is a very important question that you need to ask yourself because you might be signing over the rights to your future brilliant app without even realizing it. Ask this question again if you are not sure.

Make it clear who will be having all the codes after creating the app, and finalizing the project. Be clear on signing the ‘copyright assignment’ or ‘work made for hire’ contract to save you from any future trouble.

The design, the source code, and the content all should belong to you, after all, it’s you who paid for it and were so enthusiastic about.

8. Will you get support from the agency for future updates?

You have successfully created the app. You decided your platforms and customers are happily downloading the apps.

Don’t forget, each morning you wake up with new updates. Is the agency going to provide the support for future upgrades in OS platform?

Whether it is iOS, Android, or Windows, you get a new update from time to time.

9. Are you making a different app from others?

When you decide on an app launching, ask yourself what difference you are going to create the market. Competitors will be there so if you are going to walk on the same path, you’ll lose your identity.

Think of making a difference, the design, the title, features should be catchy and search engine optimized.

Again take help from an expert to identify gaps and how you can take advantage of it to design a successful app. compare your app to others.

Find out what is your competitive advantage. It should be more effective and user-friendly than your rivals.

10. How can the app be monetized?

Ask yourself how you are going to make money after the app is done. How will you get the return on your investment or add to your revenue? Are you going to use the pay per download model or use advertisement or going to use the ‘free download but pay to use the premium features model’?

Clear it up how will you monetize your app before it gets too late and you won’t be able to recover your expenses forget about profit.

There are many factors that influence i.e. user experience, cost factor, SERP ranking on search engines etc. Calculate all costing before deciding the final app.

Recognize the reasons why people would pay for your app? Even if at an initial stage you don’t launch with monetory strategy, clear your vision for future that how will you make money from it if you’re successfully catching the attention in the app.

11. What are your marketing strategies?

Once your app is ready and you put it up on play store and you think your work is done, it’s not. You have to promote your app as much as possible.

It’s not magic that your app will come in minds of users. You have to catch customer’s attention.

Keep strategizing your marketing plan before and after an app launch. So that your targeted audience will come to know about it.

Pay attention to SEO, ASO and back-linking. Track your performance on analytics so that you can do improvements time by time.

You can also contact your app development agency to get performance feedback and also twist the app in a timely manner for better effect.

In Conclusion

Developing and designing an effective app is not an easy task. But making others do this is more difficult than this because it would be difficult for others to get your vision. Once the app is developed, making it successful is also give brain cramps.

But if you follow a strategy, plan it seriously and follow above-mentioned steps it will be easy to design an app development strategy. These questions you should ask yourself and prepare clear answers, you’ll get a successful in-app business.